Combined car signal and control apparatus.



H. ROWNTREE. I

COMBINED CAR SIGNAL AND CONTROL APPARATUS.

APPL'ICATION FILED OCT. I7, 1913.

1 ,1 84,1 34;. Patented May 23, 1916.

r IIIIIIT! AW M?- 3513 STATES PATENT @FElGE.

HAROLD ROWNTBEE, OF KENILWORTH, ILLIhlQIS, ASSIGNOR T9 NATIONAL PNEU- EEATIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y CORPURATION OF WEST VIRGIEINIA.

coirnnvnn can SIGNAL AND oonrnci. erroneous.

opecification of Letters Pa'tent.

Patented May 23, 19116.

Application filed October 17,1913. Serial No. 795,652.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatl, HAROLD ltowiv'rnnu, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kenilworth, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have made a certain new and useful .Invention in Combined Car Signal and Control Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention paratus.

p The object of the invention is to provide a. car signal apparatus wherein means are provided which are controlled by the elevator inclosure doors for rendering the ear hoisting means inoperative to start the car when any inclosure door is open, while at the same time, a signal device on, the car is placed in condition to be operated when desired to do so. j Y

A further object of the invention is to provide a signal device on the car which is inoperative when all the inclosure doors are closed, in combination with controlling devices for the car hoisting motor, and means whereby when. a door is open the car hoisting motor is rendered inoperative while the signal device is placed in condition to be operated when it is desired "to do so.

A further object is to provide means whereby when the car is at any door or landing the mere closing oi an electric circuit will either start the car in case the apparatus is in condition the eior, or will cause a signal to be madeii apparatus is not in condition for the to start.

Other objects oi the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists substantially in the construction, combination, location and relative arrangement of parts, all as will be more fully hereinafter set'iorth, as shown in the accompanying drawing, pointed outin the appended claims.

The single view of the'drawing shows diagrammatically an arrangement of signal and control apparatus embodying invention.

In the practical operation ofelevator cars, and particularly automatically controlled elevator-cars of the dumbwaiter type, it s customary to provide it signal device, either visual or audible, which, in some arrange-- meiits, is made manifest whenever an inclosure door is opened, and continues as long as the door remains open. .ln elevator relates to car signal epcars of the automatic dumb-waiter type the and finally put into operation,

controlled by the inclosure doors ,car hoisting motor is controlled, according to one system, from a central station, through a push button arrangement containing as many push buttons as there are floors at which the elevator is to stop. By manipulating any desired button the motor is put into operation and the car is caused to travel to the floor corresponding to the push button which has been manipulated, and upon reaching that door the car stops automatically. An attendantat that floor thereupon opens the inclosure door which action cuts out the hoisting motor and hence prevents the car from starting until the door is again closed, and when the door is closed the attendant at the control station is then able to cause the car to return to the initial starting point,or to proceed to any other door, This is called the one point control system. another type oi automatic cars an attendant at any floor may, by manipulating a push button at that floor, cause "the car hoisting motor to start up and the car to proceed to that floor and then come to rest. in this system the inclosure doors also control the st rting operation oi the hoisting motor in such manner that so long as an incl-osure door is open the car hoisting motor controller is rendered inoperative. In both systems it has been customary, as above stated, to employ a signal device which is rendered operative when an inclosure door is opened and which continues in operation as long as the door remains open. may happen that an attendant at oiloor may negligently leave the elevator inclosure door open even after the purpose for which the car was sent to that door has been -fulfilled, in which event the signal will continue to operate. And even during the time the car remains at a door with the adjacent inclesure door open the signal remains in operetion and the car hoisting motor cannot be it is objectionable for the signal to thus remain in operation and it is among the special purposes of my in vention to avoid the In carrying out my invention, ii propose to provide a controller for the car hoisting motor, and also a signal device, and a switch device which is associated in the circuits of both the controller and the signal device and in such relation that when any inclosure door is open the signal device but not the motor conill) troller is rendered operative, and whenall the inclosure doors are closed the motor controller but not the signal device is rendered operative. In other words I propose to pro-' vide a switch which, if desired, may be in the form of a push button, and to locate the same at or inconvenient relation to the controlling station, and to place said switch, or

push button in the circuit both of the signal device and of the motor controller whereby, by closing said circuit the motor controller will operate to cause the motor to return the car to the starting point provided the hatchway door opposite. the car is closed, but if said door is open then the closing of said switch, instead of affecting the motor controller, will cause the signal to operate, and in case the signal is operated when said switch is closed the signal will continue to operate as long as the switch remains closed provided the hatchway door also remains open, or the signal may be operated periodically, if desired, so long as the door remains open, to attract, the attention of the attendant at the floor where the-car has stopped. When the door is 'closed, however, the signal device is rendered inoperative and then, by closing the same switch the motor is o erated to cause the car to return to t e starting point.

In the drawin I have illustrated an arrangement embo ying the principles of my invention and wherein A, is the car, B, the hoisting motor therefor, C, the signal device, which, in this instance is'pla'ced on the car, D the controller for the hoisting motor, E, the inclosure doors, and F, the door switches, each adapted to'be opened when its associated door is open and to close when said door is closed. These parts may all be of the usual and well known construction and arrangement of automatic dumbwaiter systems and require no special descri tion. The ordinary operation 15 simple. hen the motor controller D, is operated in response to the manipulation of one or, an-

other of the push buttons G, the motor starts up and causes the car to travel to the floor or landing correspondin to the particular'button which has een manipulatcd, and when the car reaches that floor,

it automatically comes to a stop. The various operations required to effect these results'are well known and in extensive use and they require no further illustration or description herein as, in the details thereof, they form no part of my present invention'. The illustration of'the controller D herein is merely conventional and is not de- 7 signed to show the entire details thereof.

When the car comes to rest at a landing or floor, the adjacent inclosure door is opened and the attendant proceeds to load or unload the car.

The circuit of the door switches includes posed to be open,

a magnet H, said circuit being closed and the magnet H, energized in any suitable manner and from any convenient source whenever all the inclosure doors are closed. The door switches F, are arranged in series in the circuit of the magnet H, so that when any door E is opened thereby opening its corresponding switch F the circuit of magnet H is opened and said magnet becomes deenergized. The magnet H, controls a movable armature J, which is connected to one terminal of the circuit of the push buttons The armature J, also works between contact points K, L, so that when the magnet H is energized the armature makes connection withqcontact'L, and when the circuit of said magnet is open said armature makes connection'with the contact K. The contact K is connected to one terminal of a source of current, conventionally shown as a battery M, while the contact L is connected to one terminal of another source of current conventionally illustrated as a battery P. The signal device C, is connected on one side to the other terminal of current source M, and the controller D is connected on one side to the other terminal of current source P. On their other sides the signal device C and the controller D are bothconnected to the same switch device, shown as 'a push button N, in the circuit of armature J. In the drawing the magnet H is shown as denergized', that is an inclosure door E at some point in the elevator well is sup thereby opening its adja cent switch F, and hence opening the circuit of the magnet H. Under this condition the armature J is contacting with contact K, andis out of contact with contact L, and consequently the circuit of controller D cannot be completed to current source P, through switch N, and said controller cannot be operated. But the signal circuit which includes in series the current source. M, contact K, armature J, the push button N, and the signal C, is rendered operative, so that by manipulating the button N, the signal circuit is completed and the signal is operated. Suppose however, that all of the inclosure doors are closed. Thereupon the circuit of magnet H is completed and said magnet isenergized. This causes the armature J to be brought into connection with contact L and to break connection with contact K. Thereupon the signal circuit is rendered inoperative when switch N is closed, since circuit connection to source M is broken, but the circuit of the controller device D may now be completed from current source P through contact L, armature'J, any one of the push buttons G, or Switch N, to ground or return, thereby causing the motor B to start up and move the car to the floor corresponding to the particular push button G which was manipulated, or to respond to the manipulation of push button N. This button may be employed to cause the ear to return to the starting point. Thus it will be seen that the magnet H controls both the signal device circuit and also the circuit of the controller D, in such manner that when the one is in condition to be operated through push button N, the other is not. It will also be seen that with this arrangement if an attendant causes the car to remain too long at a floor through failure to close the inclosure door at that floor, his attention may be called to the neglect by operating the signal device C, and that said signal device need not be in continuous operation all the time the door remains open.

It will be understood. of course, that the push buttons G, X, may correspond, respectively to the various floors at which the car is to stop, and consequently by pushing any one of them, if the conditions are right the car will start up and travel to the particular floor determined by the particular button that has been manipulated and will stop at that floor.

Having now set forth the object and nature of my invention and a construction and arrangement embodying the principles thereof, what I claim as new and useful and of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

1. In a combined car signal and control apparatus, a car, a signal, a switch for operating the same, an inclosure door. a car hoisting motor, and gravity actuated means controlled by the inclosure door for rendering the motor inoperative, and rendering the signal operative when the door is open and the switch is closed.

2. In a combined car signal and control apparatus, a car, a signal, a switch for operating the same and inclosure door, a car hoisting motor, and means controlled by the inclosure door for rendering the signal inoperative and rendering the motor operative when the door is closed and the switch is closed. 'i

3. The combination with a car, a hoisting motor therefor, a controller for the motor, a signal device, circuits for the controller and signal device, a switch operating to control both circuits, inclosure doors, and means controlled by the opening and closing of the inclosure doors for controlling said switch.

l. The combination with a car, a hoisting motor therefor, a controller for the motor, a signal device, circuits for said signal device and controller, a switch device for controlling both circuits, and operating to open one when it closes the other, a. magnet for controlling said switch, means for controlling the magnet circuit and an auxiliary switch in both of said circuits.

5. In a combined car signal and motor control apparatus, a motor control circuit and a signal circuit, a switch for controlling both circuits, said switch operating to open one when it closes the other, a magnet for operating said switch in one direction, a circuit therefor, door switches in series in said magnet circuit and an auxiliary switch for controlling said control and signal circuits.

(3. The combination with a motor circuit and a signal circuit, a switch for controlling both circuits and operating to open the one when the other is closed, means operated by the opening or closing of a door for operating said switch and an auxiliary switch for controlling both of said circuits.

7. The combination of a car, a hoisting motor therefor, means for causing the car to start to travel to any predetermined floor, an inclosure door. a signal, and gravity actuated .means controlled by the inclosure door for rendering the starting means operative to operate the signal and inoperative to start the hoisting motor when the door is open.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of the subscribing witnesses on this 8th day of October A. D.,

.HAROLD ROWNTREE. Vitnesses:

L. M. SHIELDS, V. HOWELL. 

